update

Ok everyone!!! PLEASE intercede in prayer for the kids birth dad...
The way we understand it is that the mom has literally said she loves us and would never want to lose us as her children's adoptive parents. She says she has been keeping us in her heart. She still wants us to adopt her kids and was very happy to hear that we loved her and the kids enough to wait for them, that apparently touched her deeply, so praise God for the patience He has given to us. This just proves to me we were not crazy to hold firm to our committment! Their mom is such a gentle sweet lady... I just love her. The kids look healthy and want to come back to the Orphanage. Praise God for His sustanance!
They will be having a family meeting tonight with the Dad... so please pray into the late afternoon and evening. Our kid's birth dad's mom (the kids Grandma) really wants them to be adopted. Their dad really supposidly loves and respects his mom and has been advoiding her because of this. Pray that Grandma has all the right words tonight and that the Holy Spirit talks through her!! We are almost over this mountain that God sees as a mole hill!
The family will call the Orphanage tonight! If the father makes up his mind to sign away his rights, Haitian Social Services is telling him this is the final decision... no more flip flopping, praise God.
Please continue to pray the Dad's heart into a softening and understanding!!!
God is about to do a miracle!!!

His teeth might be missing...

but praise God... Caleb's not. We have no word of how the meeting is going today BUT it is being held and Caleb is there!!!!!!!!!!! It looks like he still might even have his back pack that we bought him for the start of school this year... we hope that's a good sign!!! PLEASE continue to lift this situation up. God has heard us all already, and HE WILL bless this situation!!! This is a HUGE day for us!!! We're glad God has been sustaining Caleb (we don't know about Isabel) and there is still a smile on his face... well... at least somewhat of a smile! A typical 6 year old smile!!!

Update

We know the kid's mom showed up today and their uncle was also supposed too.

Their dad said he could come tomorrow. That is simply all we know at this point! Thanks for your prayers!! They have been effective, we were not even sure the parents would come!! God is good!

Thank You!!

We want to thank all of you who prayed with us today!!!

Thanks also to those who continue to pray and have been praying dilligently all along.

We were SO SO blessed by knowing we were surrounded by you all this afternoon.

How blessed are we!!??

We even have faith family like Cara, Colleen, Angela, Kathy, Brandy, Abbie and Michelle and many others who we have never met but who love us enough to pray for us anyway!!!!!

We also wanted to thank our sister Sheila who was a physical represntation of all of you today. She came to pray along side of us at our home today and we were blessed by her encouragement and reminder that nothing is IMPOSSIBLE with our God!

Thanks Varners, Shanavers, Haynes', Jordahls, Woods, Nickels, Hinsons, Bayanis and Plantes!

Thanks Kersten, Katie, Carsen!

Thank you Cynthia, Renee, Traci, Mallory, You-you, Joslyn and Jason, Shannon, Lizzie, Gretchen, Gail, Tom P. and Kathy Shmkr!

Thanks to my sister Kim and her family who promised to continue to stand in the gap for us today along with our other sisters and their families.

Thanks to our many Pastors and interesessros who are keeping us covered.

Thanks to the Molitors for their encouragement!

Thanks to Ty, Jodi, Lisa and Mary from the ranch for your prayers and encouragement and new found friendship!!!

Thanks to my fellow teachers Jodi, Linda, Kelli, Tina, Samantha, Diane and Beth for their daily prayer for our family!

Thank you to our Grandmas, Moms and Aunts and cousins who pray for us!

My old highschool friends Christy and Denae for their prayers and love!

Our praying customers!

If we have forgotten you... it is not on purpose... if your looking at this and saying "HEY, I prayed too!!!!!" Then we honestly do thank you sincerely!!!

Thanks most of all to God who took time to hear us all today and promises to never turn a blind eye to us all and PROMISES to hear the requests we lay before Him!

Praise you Lord... your will be done!!!

We wait, humbly, yet expectantly!!!

Prayer Sunday at 4:00

We are humbly asking all of you to pray with us at

4:00 on Sunday.

Please pray that the kids and their parents would come to the orphanage for a meeting and hopfully also with changed hearts about the adoption. We want God's will for the kids most of all and we feel God has asked for them to be here. It will be a great feeling knowing so many of you will stop and pray at the same time with us Sunday. If anyone wants to come out to our house to pray WITH us you're more than welcome! And please share with us anything you feel God shares with you during your time of prayer.

Prayer Request

Please be praying with us as Jean Nathan is trying to get in touch with our children's birth parents in order to have them come in for a visit in the last week of February to see how they're all doing! Pray the parents will be willing to come visit and that God will touch their hearts to do the right things for their (our) children. Please feel free to share with us anything that God may be showing you about this situation, we believe God is still a God that communicates with His people and we're open to hearing what anyone feels is on their heart one way or another. God bless you all! Thanks for praying! Please continue to pray that the kids and their parents have all they need to stay healthy! Blessings! - Hope and Rob

Our New Nephew

Please praise God with us as our EIGHTH nephew was born today!!!

We have two nieces too!

Alex was 9 lbs 15 oz and born bright and early this morning!!!!

He is healthy and VERY handsome!!!!

Prayer Request

We have some friends that really need your prayers right now. PLEASE pray with all your heart for them and expect God will be faithful. You can check out their blogspot at... http://jasonkrenzke.blogspot.com

There's A Light

Today I was listening to the new Third Day song... Light at the End of This Tunnel. I love it... it is SO SO encouraging! And yet a thought hit me(thank you Holy Spirit)... while we find it encouraging that there is a light at the end of the tunnel... are we forgetting the torch that we have while we are walking through the tunnel. Jesus' gift to us was the Holy Spirit... I feel like I forget that sometimes, just pushing along... trying to get to the END of the tunnel, because I guess I think that is the only place the light is... but it's not! There is a Light right in me... so I have a torch in the tunnel! It may ruin the song... I'm not sure how Third Day might add that in there. But I was so encouraged when God reminded me today that we don't have to WAIT for the end of the tunnel to have His power, guidance and strength!

"This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin." 1 John 1: 5-7

What in the world was I doing in the tunnel in the first place I guess!?

It's not a waste....

There is no new news to share yet. We are still waiting on God, knowing He has a plan in all of this. Thank you for continuing to pray with us expectantly. It is so uplifting when you all pray with us and continue to believe we are not crazy to wait on God here. We know He has a beautiful family in store for us. In this time while we wait we know our time is not wasted because no matter WHAT God is trying to accomplish... we are growing stronger as we wait, He is sharpening us and shaping us. At times this just feels like wasted time... but we are waiting on the Lord and asking for His guidance... we just don' t have the desire to jump out in front of Him due to our desire to have a family. It's about Him and His plans not us. We don't consider this time, this season... a waste.

It DID occur to me lately that that some of you may wonder where your money has gone or will be going... perhaps you were wondering if donating to us was a waste or that we were not greatful. Please be assured that we are still TREMENDOUSLY greatful. If you have given money to us it has not at all been wasted. Some of it has gone to the orphanage as it needed to in order to move forward in the adoption... that is NOT wasted though... it has been used for the care of BEAUTIFUL Haitian children that are waiting to go home with their forever families. It has helped feed them and pay the awesome staff that works so hard at the orphanage. It has not been a waste. I wish I could take you to Haiti to show you what a HUGE blessing it has been, no matter WHAT! Also MUCH of the money donated is still in an adoption account earning interest and waiting to bless some beautiful children by helping them come home. PLEASE know... God is in control and your money has not gone to waste. Please continue to pray with us as our financial need for these adoptions is still great. We trust God will provide.

The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

Proverbs 11:25

Thank You

We received these cards in the mail a few days ago. It looks like the kids made these when they came back for those few days in October. We were so touched. Whoever mailed them to us... thank you so much! We were blessed!

Isaiah 43

So I have to say in the week before Christmas I was laying it all down before the Lord AGAIN in a heavy way. Asking Him to be sure to direct our path. God has given us SO much confirmation that we are to press on with these adoptions that it's silly and actually a reflection of my weak faith, to continue to ask for more. So I basically asked for a "NO", if we are going down the wrong road we need a blatant no. I can't take a hint here God... like the parents taking the kids back... to me that's not a no... that is a mountain you can move... so I need a NO, I need a NO that I will not question and it will hurt and I will grieve but I will respect it, because it's from you Lord.
So three days later in church, a woman who does not really know Rob or me or too much about our situation, comes up to us with a word that God had asked her to share with us....




"Do not be afraid for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy one of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored and I love you. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west."



God never EVER ceases to amaze me. We have never received a blatant no. You see... it is the hundereds of God incidences like this that we cannot ignore just because the world does not seem to make sense.

Mighty Like a Rose

Our dad used to sing this around Christmas time along with a Roger Whittaker record he had... although he may not have had the best voice =) (and although we will were all girls)... and although thinking of him singing actually usually makes me crack up... he sang it because he was so sentimental. And now hearing it this Christmas I can't help think off all our kids. Now I know how my dad felt when he would sing this so sappily... and now I know why he was so sappy. =) The song is actually intended to remind us of baby Jesus... but my dad applied it to us, his own kids... I have never seen a man love his kids so much as our dad loved us, until I saw Rob with our own.

Sweetest little fellow everybody knows

don't know what to call him but he's might like a rose

looking at his mommy with eyes so shiny blue

makes you feel like heaven is coming close to you

when he's there sleeping in his little place

think I see the angels looking through the lace

when the dark is falling when the shadows creep

then they come up tip toe to kiss him in their sleep

Although Dad isn't here any more, he is STILL teaching me SO much!

MERRY CHRISTMAS DAD!

A Mother's Christmas Wish

I wish you love,

a life to share,

and to know you've found someone to care,

I hope that time is kind to you,

and that all your dreams come true.

This is a mother's Christmas wish for you.

I wish you peace in heart and mind,

to use your strength but still be kind,

to learn to give to learn to lose,

to live the truth in all you do.

This is a mother's Christmas wish for you.

And when you wake on Christmas day with children of your own,

I know then you'll see what you've meant to me.

You are the greatest gift of all.

A child was born on Christmas day,

a Shining Star to lead the way,

and Mary's love was pure and true,

and that's the way that I love you.

I pray that love will guide you through.

This is a mother's Christmas wish for you.

(Song by Olivia Newton-John)

Where We Are

Hey. Figured it was time for a nitty gritty post. Many people have been saying they've been checking our blog but there has not been an update. I guess I always just thought that meant they wanted an update of the kids... but now I understand, our friends want an update on us as a whole.





Well the kids... still with their mother as far as we know. A few weeks ago she did show up at the orphanage. From what we understand she says the kids really want to come back and she really wants to bring them back. The reason she cannot at this point is because the father does not consent to it. HOWEVER we are also led to believe the dad has not at all been doing his part to love or provide for the kids, so it's frustrating that the very one who is holding this process back, is also the one showing the least concern for the kids. The kids are not able to go to school right now and we are pretty sure they are not in a very good neighborhood. We are also not sure how well the family is eating, but we are trusting God is making a way.





So... how are we. Well in general good. God is giving us peace in the overall day to day living as we wait. I do have to admit it is getting harder lately however. It's hard to make so many people understand why we are still holding on. I wish I could explain it perfectly. I guess one very blunt way I have come up with is that stopping this process right now would be like aborting. You may think that sounds extreme but to us that's what it feels like. I guess it feels like that because we committed to these beautiful kids face to face, we told them we would never QUIT them AND most importantly we feel God led us to them. Since we feel God led us to them how do we just change our minds and move on?It would not be right... it would be like aborting at this point. It would be easier to move on at times. At times I think ok... let's just grieve and get the sadness over with and move on, but THAT does not seem to line up with what I feel God calling me to do right now. I WOULD LOVE to move quickly in whichever avenue was convenient to get a child in our home.. we are SO SO SO SO ready to be parents and every time we see a parent take their child for granted... UGGHH it's heart wrenching. BUT ultimately... we are NOT in this for us. WE are not in this to fill a nest that seems empty or to play house, we are in this for God, so we are trying to do it His way. If we feel God speak to us we have to listen, or else we are just lukewarm in our faith. I am too lukewarm in my faith already, I want to be bold like, Noah, Daniel and all those others who heard and obeyed even when it was hard and the odds seemed to be against them.





So some of you say, ok ok that's fine... but what IF it was not God's plan. What if you misinterpreted God. What if God just needed to use you in these kids life for a while and now it's time to move on. Well, it is God's plan, He shows me often again and again, yet just like you there are days I doubt myself but then I remember there is a reason for the hundreds of things that had to line up to make this all happen so far... and even if you were right, and I was wrong... I feel I have to be accountable for what I have committed to.


Let me share some of my most precious memories in my life. These all are part of not letting go so easily. These memories are what show you your child is yours. You see adoption is NOT AT ALL just shopping for a child, we get so bummed out for the people who just think it's that simple.


First of all just seeing our kids for the first time was precious all together, but the more intimate things are so amazing. Like holding your daughter and letting her drool down your shoulder because she is just so darn cute and sleeping so good and it feels so good to cuddle her even if it is almost 100 degrees and your sharing each other's sweat. Giving your daughter a shoulder ride while potty training... gross... yet very intimate. Having your son's soft voice say "mama, I love you" or singing "mama, papa, Caleb, Isabel" as you walk down Haitian streets hand in hand. Giving your daughter her very own dress and hearing her say "Ooh belle, Mesi mama" when she hardly ever talks and watching her put it on and twirl around in it. Giving your son his own baseball cap and flip flops. After a very long week of attempted bonding with your daughter she finally chooses on her own to point at you and say mama and smile. Watching your son watch his papa build and running barefoot onto the building site every 5 minutes to bring him water. Changing STINKY diapers full of doodoo from American food as opposed to rice and beans doodoo. Waking up to the feeling of things being stacked up on your belly only to realize it is your two year old daughter stacking things there as she organizes the room. The awesome feeling of your son crawling into bed with you at 4 in the morning just for his back to be scratched and to be by someone that loves him. Sleeping with your daughter because there are not enough beds and although it was the worse night's sleep ever, it was the BEST night ever just constantly feeling her near you as she went from sleeping on your belly to next to you to laying across you then above your head then down between your feet and then back on your belly and laying her cheek on yours and drooling on your face. Waking your son up in the middle of EVERY night so he doesn't wet the bed. Wiping up the floor and yourself after numerous potty training incidences of your daughters. I could go on and on. But what happens each time we go to Haiti is a lot of bonding. I mean.. think of having your kids for a couple months and then having them taken away and never knowing for sure if and when you will get them back... you might think because we are "just adopting" that it wouldn't be as bad as you think to be going through this... but it is. AND YET hear me out... our God says that not ONE DAY will be added to our lives through worry. SO we don't ... we try not to. But now you know why we can't give up.



AND yet I wonder if there are people who wonder why it seems we are twisting and pulling and waiting for an adoption of kids who have parents when there are many out there who don't have parents at all. Well... it seems odd to us too at times and yet all we can say is, we love these kids and are trying to be obedient to God's will.



So the Nitty Gritty... well I have about 5 minutes of cry time every day lately. But I am fine.. honestly, crying is therapeutic... it is GOOD that I'm crying...cause I am usually a hold it inner. I am happy overall. This is a season in our life in which God is molding us... sometimes being molded hurts but the results are beautiful.



Rob is doing well too. About a week or two ago he was really missing the kids and struggling, but seems to be back in the saddle. He is so so busy with work... praise God and yet it's tiring to him.



We are unfortunately moving forward STILL with out homestudy.. SURPRISINGLY I know. We have just had a lot of requirements and we did slow down a bit due to the snag we are going through. We are at the end of it however. Things are coming together with paperwork though. We chose to move forward on our end.


I will try to keep you all more up to date on a regular basis.

So...how long will we wait? How long would you wait for YOUR kids to come home?
Praying for the ultimate Christmas Miracle.